Rock drilling apparatus



Feb mm c. T; mam mm. wmmm ROCK DRILLING APPARME'US Filed July 31, 1964 5 Sheets Sheet 1 IINVE'MVORS 4mm 2" mm mfizm WUIVGWS Feb 7, 1967 -13; T. mm

ROCK DR ILLING APPARATUS Filed July 31, 1964 5 Shama -Sheet 2 IMVENTORS 5% L 7' NLE/W ROCK DRILLING AT? Wk Filed July 51, 1964 ll In I in.

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ROCK DRILLING APPARATUS Filed July 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 30A 2x 28 '4 4x 26 7 3O OB 2 36A 1 34 T W-i 38 'fifga hmfig 30A) 305 m K L 30% ml 30B) I 4-1: 1W

United States Patent 3,302,735 ROCK DRlLlLlNG APPARATUS Carl T. Klein, Riegelsville, and Laszlo Gyongyosi, Eastern, Pie, assignors to llngersoll-llland Company, New Yorlt, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed July 31, 196%, Ser. No. 386,709 7 Claims. (Cl. 175--85) This invention relates to rock drilling apparatus and more particularly to a rock drilling apparatus equipped with a drill pipe storing and handling device.

Conventional drill pipe storing and handling apparatus include various types of racks for receiving, supporting, and storing the drill pip-es; the racks usually being employed to move the drill pipes into and out of alignment with the drill hole. Handling of the drill pipes by the racks in addition to storing and supporting the drill pipes, usually requires extremely complicated mechanisms for automatically shifting and indexing the drill pipes. Furthermore, with conventional drill pipe storing and handling systems, it is extremely dilficult to handle the drill pipes when the derrick or. tower structure is positioned angularly for drilling under an angle.

In conventionally known rock drilling apparatus, the rotary head is rigidly mounted on a baseplate which in turn is connected to a motor actuated feed chain serving to move the rotary head longitudinally along the tower structure to lower the drill string into the hole being drilled or to raise the drill string from the hole being drilled. When the rock drilling apparatus is equipped with a commonly known rotatable type drill pipe storage and handling device, and a drill pipe is to be added to the drill string in the hole being drilled, the drill pipe is transferred from the storage rack and positioned in axial alignment with the rotary head, whereafter the drill pipe is screwed to the rotary head and lowered thereby to be screwed to the drill string in the hole being drilled. These operations usually require extremely complicated mechanisms for automatically transferring and indexing the drill pipes.

Accordingly, a principal object of the invention is to provide a simplified type drill pipe storing and handling arrangement for a rock drill apparatus, when compared to the presently known drill pipe storing and handling arrangements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drill pipe storing and handling arrangement for a rock drilling apparatus which is economical to manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a drill pipe storing and handling arrangement for a rock drilling apparatus adapted for vertical as well as angle drilling.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a drill pipe storing and handling arrangement for a rock drilling apparatus which is durable and eflicient.

The novel device, according to the invention, comprises a drill tower supported by a base, a rack for storing drill pipes supported by the base and adapted to store drill pipes in a position parallel to the drill tower and in a plane intersecting the axis of the hole being drilled, a mounting slidably attached to the drill tower for longitudinal movement along the drill tower, and a rotary head carried by the mounting for longitudinal movement with the mounting along the axis of the hole being drilled. The mounting includes means to permit transverse movement of the rotary head relative to the axis of the hole being drilled, and motor means mounted on the mounting to move the rotary head selectively from a position in axial alignment with the hole being drilled to positions in axial alignment with each of the drill pipes in the rack.

3,3d2fi35 Patented Feb. 7, 1967 ice The structure of the novel device according to the invention will become apparent from the following description when it is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side View of the upper portion of the rock drilling apparatus, according to the invention, showing the rotary head and its mounting on the drill tower, and the retainer members of the rack for storing the drill P p FIG. 2 is a front view of the lower portion of the rock drilling apparatus showing the lower portion of the rack for storing the drill pipes;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the: lower portion of the drill pipe support of the rack;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of a retainer member supporting a drill pipe;

FIGS. 7 and 8 show schematically the rectilinear motors for transversely moving the rotary head;

FIG. 9 shows schematically the rotary head and its mounting on the drill tower, the positions of the drill pipes (numbered in the rack, and, the distance between the stored drill pipes and the axis of the hole being drilled; and

FIGS. 10-15 show schematically the various positions of the rotary head relative to the positions of drill pipes numbered 1'6 shown in FIG. 9.

The novel drill pipe storing and handling device is designated 11 and is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in association with a rock drilling apparatus designated 12. The rock drilling apparatus comprises a vertical derrick or drill tower structure 14 mounted on a mobile base 16 (partly shown). A rotary head or rotating mechanism 18 is movably mounted on the tower structure 14 to be longitudinally guided along the tower structure and to rotate the drill pipes 2ll forming the drill string, the drill string being made up of drill pipes 20 screwed in endto-end relation to each other.

The rock drilling apparatus according to this invention includes a drill pipe storage arrangement in which the drill pipes are stacked in a row, the row of drill pipes being positioned to the left and/or to the right of the longitudinal path of travel of the rotary head. The rotary ead is mounted on the tower structure in a novel manner to provide for the rotary head to be moved longitudinally along the drill tower as well as to be moved transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the drill tower. Transverse movement of the rotary head serves to move the rotary head sideways over the row of drill pipes and in axial alignment with each drill pipe in the storage rack(s) to the left and/or to the right of the longitudinal path of travel of the rotary head, rather than transferring the drill pipes from the rack(s) into the path of travel of the rotary head, as is usually practiced. The purpose of this novel arrangement is to eliminate the complicated drill pipe indexing and handling devices, and consequently, to simplify the overall drilling operations.

In accordance with the invention, the rotary head 18 is rigidly connected to a support member 22 which is transversely slidably attached to a guide member 24 which in turn is transversely slidably attached to a base member 26, sec FIGS. 1 and 3. Base member 26 is longitudinally slidably mounted on the derrick 14 and connected to a motor driven chain 23 to be moved thereby longitudinally along the derrick 14 in a commonly known manner.

In order to move the rotary head transversely relative to its normal longitudinal path of movement, a first conventional rectilinear type pressure fluid operated motor 38 is connected with one end to an ear 32 mounted on the right-hand side of base member 26; the other end of motor 30 being connected to an ear 34 mounted on the left-hand side of guide member 24, see FIGS. 1 and 3. A second rectilinear type pressure fluid operated motor 36 is connected with one end to an ear 38 mounted opposite car 34 on the left-hand side of guide member 24; the other end of motor 36 being connected to an car 40 mounted on the right-hand side of support member 22. It is to be noted that each of the motors 30, 36 comprises two sep arate motors connected to each other in end-to-end relation and having predetermined fixed strokes to provide for the rotary head to travel transversely a predetermined distance either to the left or to the right. This arrangement for the rotary head to be automatically positioned in axial alignment with each drill pipe in the racks will be explained hereinafter more in detail.

Preferably, ten drill pipes, five on each side of the normal longitudinal path of movement of the rotary head, are stored, see FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The drill pipes are stored in two racks, rack 42 to the left of the normal longitudinal path of movement of the rotary head, and rack 44 to the right of the normal longitudinal path of movement of the rotary head. Each of the racks 42, 44 includes an upper retainer member 46, 48, respectively, to maintain the upper end portion of each drill pipe in axial alignment with its lower end portion. The lower ends of the drill pipes are supported in the racks by spikes s positioned in two groups of five spikes in a row; the centerline of each group of spikes being parallel to the transverse path of movement of the rotary head. The groups of spikes are positioned on either side of the normal longitudinal path of movement of the rotary head with their centerlines in alignment with each other and intersecting the normal longitudinal path of movement of the rotary head.

Each group of spikes is mounted on the lower end portion of the derrick and comprises upper and lower brackets 52 and 54, respectively, formed with suitable bearings to permit rotation of each spike, see FIGS. 2 and 4. The brackets 52 and 54 are attached to a supporting member 56 which in turn is attached to the derrick or tower structure in any suitable manner. Each spike is equipped with a blocking member 58 keyed to the associated spike and positioned between the longitudinally displaced brackets 52 and 54; the position of the blocking members 58 being staggered to prevent engagement between two adjacent blocking members, see FIGS. 4 and 5. Each blocking member 58 is formed with two opposing contact faces 60, 62 positioned for engaging supporting member 56 when the blocking member is rotated permitting only a 180 turn in either direction, the purpose and operation of which being referred to copending US. Patent application, Ser. No. 295,899, filed July 18, 1963.

Each spike is adapted to support a drill pipe and is provided with an upper end portion 64 of suitable form, in this instance, the upper end portion of each spike is of square cross sectional form corresponding to the configuration of the interior of the forward end portion of the drill pipes to permit insertion of the upper end portion 64 of the spike into the forward end portion of the associated drill pipe, see FIG. 4.

Referring to the retainer members 46 and 48, see FIGS. 1, 3 and 6, each retainer member comprises a U-shaped guide member 66 suitably connected to the derrick and positioned to maintain the upper end portion of each drill pipe in axial alignment with its lower end portion when the latter is supported by an associated spike. The guide members 66 are formed with opposing recesses 68 to maintain the upper end portion of the drill pipes in a proper storing position. As shown in FIG. 6, each drill pipe is formed with an upper end portion 70 of reduced diameter relative to the normal diameter of the drill pipe; portion 70 of the drill pipe being positioned forwardly of the retainer member when the drill pipe is carried by the racks. With this arrangement the drill pipe is properly held in storage position with its lower end portion carried by an associated spike, and with its upper end portion of normal diameter positioned in the associated recess of the retainer member. Removal of the upper end portion of a drill pipe from the retainer member is achieved by raising the drill pipe until the portion 70 of reduced diameter of the drill pipe is in registration with the recess 68. In this position the lower end of the drill pipe is slightly higher than the upper end of the associated spike permitting the drill pipe to be moved above and over the spike, and to be removed from the retainer member since the width of the reduced portion 70 of the drill pipe is slightly smaller than the width between the non-recessed portions of the retainer member.

Turning now to the pressure fluid-operated rectilinear type motors 30 and 36 for actuating the rotary head transversely, each motor is made up of two separate motors positioned in back-to-back relation and in axial alignment with each other, see FIGS. 7 and 8. Motor 30 comprises motors 30A and 30B, while motor 36 comprises motors 36A and 36B; each motor having a predetermined stroke and constructed to be either fully extended or fully retracted to provide for a simple cooperation between both sets of motors to cause the rotary head to be axially aligned with each drill pipe in the racks without the necessity of a complicated control system, as will be apparent hereinafter.

The stroke of each motor is so chosen that one or more motors are operated either separately or simultaneously to be either fully extended or fully retracted; there being no necessity of controls to effect a partial stroke of either one of the motors, a feature which is of paramount importance with respect to simplifying the control system of the motors for accurate handling of the drill pipes. As shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 9-15, the rotary head 18 is movable to the right and to the left relative to the normal longitudinal path of movement of the rotary head to transfer drill pipes from the racks to be added to the drill string, or to transfer drill pipes detached from the drill string to a storage position in the racks. The drill pipes are numbered from 1 to 10 in the order of removal from the racks, and the sequence of operations of the motors 30 and 36 is diagrammatically shown in FIGS. 10-15. It is to be noted that the drill pipes are removed in turns from the left-hand side rack and the right-hand side rack to maintain as much as possible a proper balance of the weight of the racks and drill pipes therein relative to the drill tower structure.

The drill pipes in each of the racks are positioned equally spaced from each other, and, if the distance between the centerlines of adjacent drill pipes is, for example, X inches, the distance between the centerline of the rotary head, when the rotary head is positioned in axial alignment with the drill hole, and each of the centerlines of both adjacent drill pipes is 2X inches. For proper positioning of the rotary head in axial alignment with a drill pipe in either one of the racks each time the rotary head is actuated transversely, one or more motors are operated. Since each motor is only operable to be either fully extended or fully retracted, the stroke of each motor is determined to correspond with the distances between the centerlines of the drill pipes and with the distance between the rotary head and the adjacent drill pipes. Accordingly, the stroke of motor 30A is twice the distance between the centerlines of two adjacent drill pipes or 2X inches; the stroke of motor 30B is 4X inches; that of motor 36A is equal to the distance between the centerlines of two adjacent drill pipes or X inches, while the stroke of motor 36B is 5X inches.

When a drill pipe is to be added to the drill string, assuming the racks are fully loaded, No. 1 drill pipe from the left-hand side rack is first to be transferred; and, since the centerline of No. 1 drill pipe is positioned 2X inches from the centerline of the rotary head, see FIG. 10, the rotary head is to be moved 2X inches to the left. This is achieved by operating motor 30A while the other motors are held inoperative and stationary. Operation of motor 30A causes guide member 24 and motors 36A, 36B, support member 22, and the rotary head connected thereto to be actuated to the left. Since the stroke of motor 30A is 2X inches and the motor stops only when it is fully extended, the rotary head is thus automatically positioned in axial alignment with the No. 1 drill pipe. The rotary head is thereafter lowered and screwed to the No. 1 drill pipe, then raised slightly to permit the lower end portion of the drill pipe to be disengaged from the associated spike, and the reduced diameter portion 70 of the upper end portion of the drill pipe to be positioned in registry with the non-recessed portion of the retainer 46 to the right of the drill pipe. Thereafter, the rotary head is actuated by motor 30A to be returned 2X inches to its original position in axial alignment with the drill string in the hole being drilled.

When drill pipe No. 2 is to be transferred for addition to the drill string, drill pipe No. 2 being positioned on rack 48 at a distance of 2X inches from the rotary head, motors 3GB, 36A and 36B are operated while motor 30A is held inoperative and stationary, see FIG. 11. The following takes place: Operation of motor 30B, having a stroke of 4X inches, causes guide member 24, motors 36A, 368, the baseplate 22 and rotary head mounted thereon to be moved 4X inches to the left. The rotary head is now positioned 4X inches to the left of its original position. Motor 36A, having a stroke of X inches, and motor 36B, having a stroke of 5X inches, are then operated causing the support member and rotary head attached thereto to be actuated 6X inches to the right. The rotary head, first positioned by motor 308 4X inches to the left of its original position, is now positioned 6X inches to the right resulting in a position exactly 2X inches to the right of the longitudinal path of movement of the rotary head and in axial alignment with drill pipe No. 2.

Drill pipe No. 3 is positioned 3X inches to the left of the rotary head, see FIG. 12, and positioning of the rotary head in axial alignment with the drill pipe No. 3 is as follows: Motor 30B having a stroke of 4X inches is operated to move the rotary head 4X inches to the left, whereafter motor 36A is operated to cause the rotary head to be moved X inches to the right resulting in a positioning of the rotary head of 3X inches to the left of its original position and in axial alignment with drill pipe No. 3.

As for drill pipe No. 4, see FIG. 13, positioning of the rotary head in axial alignment with drill pipe No. 4 is achieved by operating motors 30A and 36B. Motor 30A moves the rotary head 2X inches to the left, while motor 368 moves the rotary head 5X inches to the right resulting in a position of the rotary head in axial alignment with drill pipe No. 4 being 3X inches to the right of the original position of the rotary head.

For removal of drill pipe No. 5 from the associated rack, see FIG. 14, motor 30B only is operated; and, since the stroke of motor 30B is 4X inches and the drill pipe is positioned 4X inches away from the rotary head, operation of motor 308 results in axially aligning the rotary head with drill pipe No. 5.

Drill pipe No. 6 is positioned 4X inches to the right of the rotary head, see FIG. 15. Axial alignment of the rotary head and the drill pipe is achieved by operating motors 30A, 36A and 363. This results in first moving the rotary head 2X inches to the left by motor 30A and then moving the rotary head X inches to the right by motor 36A and another 5X inches to the right by motor 363. The end result is that the rotary head is moved 6X-2X inches-=4X inches to the right of the rotary heads original position which is exactly in axial alignment with drill pipe No. 6.

The arrangements to actuate the rotary head either to the left or to the right for axial alignment with drill pipes 7, 8, 9, and 10 to be removed from the racks and to be added to the drill string is now believed clear from the foregoing description of the removal of drill pipes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 from the racks.

While there is shown a preferred form of structure embodying the invention, structural modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the: appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a rock drilling apparatus, the combination of (a) a drill tower supported by a base,

(b) a mounting slidably attached to said tower for longitudinal movement along said tower substantially parallel to the axis of the hole being drilled,

(c) a rack supported by said base adapted to store drill pipes in a position parallel to the axis of the hole being drilled and in a plane intersecting the axis of the hole being drilled,

(d) a rotary head supported by said mounting for longitudinal movement therewith along the axis of the hole being drilled,

(e) said mounting including means to permit trans verse movement of said rotary head relative to the axis of the hole being drilled, and

(f) motor means to move said rotary head selectively from a position in axial alignment with the hole being drilled to a position in axial alignment with each of said drill pipes in said rack.

2. In a rock drilling apparatus, the combination of (a) a drill tower supported by a base,

(b) a base member slidably attached to said tower for longitudinal movement along said tower substantially parallel to the axis of the hole being drilled,

(c) a rack mounted on said base adapted to store drill pipes in a position parallel to the axis of the hole being drilled and displaced therefrom,

(d) a rotary head supported by said base member for longitudinal movement therewith along the axis of the hole being drilled,

(e) a mounting for said rotary head on said base member to permit transverse movement of said rotary head relative to said base member, and

(f) motor means to move said rotary head transversely and selectively in axial alignment with the hole being drilled and in axial alignment with each of said drill pipes in said rack.

3. In a rock drilling apparatus, the combination of (a) a drill tower supported by a base,

(b) a base member slidably mounted on said drill tower for longitudinal movement along said drill tower,

(c) a guide member slidably mounted on said base member for transverse movement relative to said base member,

(d) a support member slidably mounted on said guide member for transverse movement relative to said guide member,

(e) a rotary head rigidly mounted on said support member for longitudinal movement with said guide member and said base member along the axis of the hole being drilled, and for transverse movement with said guide member relative to said base member,

(f) a rack supported by said base adapted to store drill pipes substantially parallel to the axis of the hole being drilled and in a plane intersecting the axis of the hole being drilled,

(g) first motor means connected to said base member and said guide member to move said guide member transversely in both directions relative to said base member, and

(h) second motor means connected to said guide member and said support member to move said support member and said rotary head transversely in both directions relative to said guide member.

4. The device claimed in claim 3 in which each of said motor means is in the form of a rectilinear type pressure fluid operated motor having a predetermined stroke to cooperate with each other to move said rotary head a predetermined distance transversely in each direction relative to the axis of the hole being drilled.

5. The device claimed in claim 3 in which each of said first and said second motor means comprises two motors positioned in back-to-backi relation and each motor operating a full stroke in each direction and cooperating with each other to move said rotary head a predetermined distance transversely in each direction relative to the axis of the hole being drilled.

6. The device claimed in claim 5 in which the strokes of said motors are proportioned relative to each other and relative to the distance between two adjacent drill pipes as 1:2:4:5, the strokes of the motors of one of said motor means being proportioned as 2:4, and the strokes of the motors of the other of said motor means being proportioned as 1:5.

'7. In a rock drilling apparatus, the combination of (a) a drill tower supported by a mobile base,

(b) a base member slidably mounted on said drill tower for longitudinal movement substantially parallel to the axis of the hole being drilled,

(c) a guide member slidably mounted on said base member for transverse movement relative to said base member,

(d) a support member slidably mounted on said guide member for transverse movement relative to said guide member,

(e) a rotary head rigidly mounted on said support member for longitudinal movement along the axis of the hole being drilled, and for transverse movement substantially rectangular to the axis of the hole being drilled with said support member relative to said guide member and said base member,

(f) a pair of racks supported by said base, each rack positioned transversely displaced from the axis of the hole being drilled and adapted to store drill pipes at equal distances from each other and in a position substantially parallel to the axis of the hole being drilled and in a row substantially parallel to the path,

of transverse movement of the rotary head,

(g) first motor means connected to said base member and said guide member to move said guide member transversely in both directions relative to said base member,

(h) second motor means connected to said guide member and said support member to move said support member and said rotary head transversely in both directions relative to said guide member,

(i) each of said motor means comprising two motors positioned in back-to-back relation and each motor operating a full stroke in each direction, the strokes of said motors being proportioned relative to each other and relative to the distance between two adjacent drill pipes as 1:2:4:5, the strokes of the motors of one of said motor means being proportioned as 2:4, and the strokes of the motors of the other of said motor means being proportioned as 1:5.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,251,615 1/1918 Arey 17585 X 1,494,324 5/1924 Owen 17585 X 2,026,627 l/1936 Gilman 17585 2,450,934- 10/1948 Calhoun 175--85 X 2,833,518 5/1958 Ausburger 173147 X 3,089,549 5/1963 Robbins 175S5 3,691,439 5/1963 Adams et al. 175-85 X 3,218,893 11/1965 Madison et a1. 17343 X CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

R. E. FAVREAU, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A ROCK DRILLING APPARATUS, THE COMBINATION OF (A) A DRILL TOWER SUPPORTED BY A BASE, (B) A MOUNTING SLIDABLY ATTACHED TO SAID TOWER FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT ALONG SAID TOWER SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE HOLE BEING DRILLED, (C) A RACK SUPPORTED BY SAID BASE ADAPTED TO STORE DRILL PIPES IN A POSITION PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE HOLE BEING DRILLED AND IN A PLANE INTERSECTING THE AXIS OF THE HOLE BEING DRILLED, (D) A ROTARY HEAD SUPPORTED BY SAID MOUNTING FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT THEREWITH ALONG THE AXIS OF THE HOLE BEING DRILLED, (E) SAID MOUNTING INCLUDING MEANS TO PERMIT TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF SAID ROTARY HEAD RELATIVE TO THE AXIS OF THE HOLE BEING DRILLED, AND (F) MOTOR MEANS TO MOVE SAID ROTARY HEAD SELECTIVELY FROM A POSITION IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE HOLE BEING DRILLED TO A POSITION IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OF SAID DRILL PIPES IN SAID RACK. 